


Never Deal with the Devil

by GamerCaeshi



Category: Cuphead - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Main Story, cabell franks, friend’s ocs, from Cabell’s point of view, his name is a pun lol, holly highball, king dice is a jerk, start of cuphead, the Devil is fucking nasty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 13:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13705215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamerCaeshi/pseuds/GamerCaeshi
Summary: The start of Cuphead from Cabell’s point of view.(Contains OCs of mine, a friend, and Mayadile on Tumblr.)





	Never Deal with the Devil

**Author's Note:**

> This was kinda rushed, but I’m generally proud of how it turned out.
> 
> Cabell, Holly and Scarlet belong to me.
> 
> Valentina belongs to my friend Imjustacreeper on Deviantart.
> 
> Connie O’ Clock belongs to Mayadile on Tumblr.

“Hey, bartenders! We need another whiskey over here!” A large, gorilla-like creature called from across the casino. A group of monsters were hunched over at a roulette table, muttering between themselves over who would win. Occasionally, one of them would stand up and glare ominously at another one of the monsters if they thought they were cheating. If they weren’t, they would give them a “You’re lucky” look, and sit back down.

“Oi! If ya want a drink, come ovah an’ ordah one!” A skeleton sitting at the bar yelled. The gorilla gave him a withering stare, but stood up and headed towards the bar.

Cabell Franks swallowed when he saw him coming. He hated dealing with these brutes. They loved to show off how tough they were by ordering the strongest alcohol, and if you did so much as roll your eyes or sigh in exasperation, they would give you a look that screamed death at you.

Pushing his nervous thoughts aside, Cabell looked up as the gorilla monster approached the bar.

“…Hello, Coal,” he greeted uneasily.

“Cut with the talk, Franks,” the gorilla, Coal, grunted. “Give me your strongest whiskey.”

Suppressing both a roll of his eyes and a sigh of exasperation, Cabell nodded and turned to the back of the bar, grabbing a bottle of strong whiskey and filling a glass. He tried to hold his hand as steady as possible, despite practically being able to feel Coal’s angry gaze burning into his back. He took a deep breath, counted to five in his head, and turned back to him.

“Here you go, sir.”

Coal grabbed it, muttered a thank you, and promptly turned, heading back to his table. Cabell slowed his breathing, and leaned against the counter.

“You can’t let those fellas get to you, Cab…” a voice behind him murmured. He spun around, and found himself face to face with one of the two other bartenders, Holly Highball.

“Honesty, you got sense to not make ‘em mad, but you can’t let them think they can just push around the casino staff like that!” Holly continued. Cabell shrugged.

“Customer is always right,” he half-joked. Holly was right, though. As part of the staff at the Devil’s casino, the biggest and most popular casino in practically the whole world, he was payed very well and luckily there was a rule not to touch any of the staff, so he at least had some form of protection against the long-time gamblers there. Even so, the more bored gamblers would occasionally try to pick fights with the staff. If they ever got violent, they would be kicked out, or sent down to Scarlet Serpentine. Cabell had only met Scarlet a few times, even though she was part of the staff too, but she was terrifying. He didn’t want to know what she did to serious troublemakers.

Holly fiddled with the bow on her dress for a moment, then looked back at Cabell. “Y’know, you shouldn’t do nothing if one of those idiots threatens you. You need to work up the guts to let them know what they’re doing.”

“They’d kill me, Holly.”

“More like THEY’D get killed if the big man himself found out. You should let him or King Dice know.”

Cabell shuddered. The place was called the Devil’s Casino for a reason – It was owned by the Devil himself. Cabell had never talked to him – he in no way ever wanted to – but at least Lucifer seemed to want to keep his staff alive. His presence was terrifying – but at least he didn’t hassle his staff.

King Dice, the casino’s manager, and the right hand man of the Devil, was a different story. He was arrogant, smug, and was always bossing the employees around. He sometimes acted like HE was the Devil – Lucifer wouldn’t like that, Cabell thought.

“I honestly can’t talk to either of them, Holly…you know that,” sighed Cabell. “And there’s no way in hell they’d ever listen to me.”

Sighing, Holly looked away. “…Fine. Just don’t say I’m not trying to help you.”

“I wouldn’t say that!”

“I know you wouldn’t.” She chuckled.

“Hey, you two!” They both turned to see Valentina Margery, the other bartender, waving at them. “You can’t stand talking all day, we’ve got work to do.”

Holly rolled her eyes, though there was a smile on her face. “Alright, alright, hon. We’ll get back to work.” Valentina smiled, and put her hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder. Holly laughed, kissing her cheek, and glowered playfully at Cabell when he smirked.

…

 

About an hour passed. Cabell was humming to himself, absentmindedly wiping down wine glasses. Looking up at the clock, he realized it was nearing nine-o-clock. His shift would be over in an hour, and he would be able to go home. Knowing this, the constant tightness in his chest eased a little, since he would be able to see his girlfriend again.

A sudden shout with dead silence quickly following caused him to look up. At the other end of the casino, near the slot machines, a door had opened, and not just any door. That door was the main gateway to Hell. Hearing obnoxious laughter, Cabell swallowed. That could only mean one person was coming…

With a hearty chuckle, a tall figure stepped out of the large doorway. He was slender, and wore a vibrant purple suit, but perhaps his most notable feature was his die-head. Fixing his bowtie, he scanned the crowd of casino-goers judgmentally.

“Why, what’s with the stares? Haven’t you ever seen a manager before?” he chuckled. “I simply want to check if everything’s running smoothly! After all, no one wants to cheat when the king of the casino is around, eh? Don’t mess with King Dice!” He slammed his fist on a table for emphasis. Almost everyone in the casino flinched, Cabell included. King Dice was not someone you wanted to anger.

As the manager walked to another part of the casino, Cabell felt a nudge from Holly. The highball glass was watching King Dice intently.

“Odd, y’know?” she asked. “He never really comes out of hell this time of night…y’think today’s a special occasion of some sort?” She looked slightly uneasy. Cabell recalled she had once been humiliated by the king – he made fun of the fact that she loved women where everyone could hear – and she still got odd looks from gamblers. Cabell felt a sudden rush of indignation.

“It shouldn’t be,” he muttered. “The only thing he comes up here for is to mock the employees and brag to the customers. He’s a sleaze.”

Holly nodded. “Agreed.”

Cabell opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a shout from King Dice. The man was heading towards the bar, to Cabell’s dismay.

“Well well well, if it isn’t paranoia and the queer!” he smirked. Holly tensed, and Cabell shot her a warning glance. It would not go well if Holly lost her temper on the manager himself, and Cabell feared anything bad happening to his friend. Luckily, Holly seemed to get the warning, and didn’t say anything.

With a deep breath, Cabell turned and addressed King Dice. “How can I help you, sir?”

The manager let out a loud snort. “I’m here for a drink of course. Shot of rum – pronto!”

Gritting his teeth, but silently thankful he didn’t seem to be there just to cause trouble, Cabell went to filling a glass. As he worked, questions he asked himself a lot flashed through his mind – Why was he still working here? The casino had good pay, and he had a few friends here, but some of the people that came here…and the fact that it was the Devil’s of all places.

Working here had been his girlfriend’s idea originally. She wanted him to overcome his fears of interacting with others, and find better pay. This was definitely better pay, and many people around the world came here to test their luck, but, despite having made friends here…he was beginning to think of working in small-scale pubs again. But for some reason, thinking about leaving made him feel queasy.

Why was that? Despite all the cons of working here, he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk leaving, even if was for the best. A sudden cold chill went through Cabell. He watched gamblers every day, and how they came back again and again, even if they lost. Was he like them, trapped in trying his luck to find happiness here?

Did the Devil own him now…?

“Oi, Franks! Drink please!”

Cabell turned around quickly, and shakily handed King Dice his glass. He took it, taking a sip, then eyed Cabell thoughtfully.

“Y’know, Cab – “

King Dice was suddenly interrupted by shouts from across the casino. Both he and Cabell turned, and saw a large group of monsters crowded around the casino’s fancy entrance. Two wolf bouncers, who Cabell recognized as Brute and Shredder, quickly ran over and started prying the angry gamblers away from the door. The crowd parted slightly, and Cabell gasped when two small figures ran inside.

Children. Two children – small humanoid cups, similar to Cabell himself. One was red, the other was blue, showing excitement and fear on their faces, respectively. They stared around the casino, seemingly in awe of the bright lights and colors.

“What in the world?” Holly gasped. “How did children get in here, let alone two?”

“I have no idea…” Cabell watched as Brute and Shredder approached the boys, growling. He flinched slightly, praying the wolves wouldn’t hurt them. The blue cup, who looked more mug-like upon closer inspection, whimpered and hid behind the red cup, who Cabell presumed to be his brother. The red cup, however, puffed out his chest and glared at Brute, who was leaning close. In spite of the boy’s stupidity, Cabell couldn’t help feeling slightly impressed. He had never seen anyone stand up to someone as intimidating as Brute.

Brute snarled. “What are two young brats like you doin’ here?” he growled. Shredder said nothing, but eyed them dangerously.

The red cup snorted. “We’re here to gamble!” His blue companion winced, looking like he wished he would sink into the floor right there and then.

“Gambling ain’t for youngstahs like yaselves,” hissed Shredder. He flexed his claws as if preparing to strike. “Ya might wanna get out right now unless ya wanna be-” The wolf was suddenly cut off by a loud cough.

King Dice had been watching the whole thing, silent. Now he had stepped up beside the bouncers, watching the two young boys with interest.

“Hmm…what are your names, you two?” he questioned.

The red cup brightened slightly. “Cuphead!” he answered. Gesturing over to his brother, he continued, “And this is Mugman!” Mugman trembled slightly, but dared a look up at the king. King Dice just smiled at him – a smile that was all too fake, Cabell thought.

“Well, Cuphead, Mugman, come on in and make yourselves at home!” he chuckled. Shocked whispers spread throughout the casino. Cuphead just grinned, grabbing Mugman’s hand, and raced after King Dice.

Cabell watched, shocked that King Dice was allowing minors, of all people, into the casino. And apparently he wasn’t the only one. Gamblers were glaring and making comments to each other about the two new arrivals, and casting looks at the king like he was insane. Cabell turned to Holly, about to make a remark, but realized she was staring after Valentina, who was marching right up to King Dice. Valentina was a lady who was not afraid to speak her mind, and that made Holly often worry about her.

“Mr. Dice, are you crazy?” Valentina fumed as she approached Dice. “Letting children into a casino?”

“Oh, Valerie!” King Dice turned to her with a sickly sweet smile. “Why, you of all people should know that our casino is open to everyone! People all over know that!”

“Well, yes, but…” Valentina stuttered. “It’s illegal! Lowdown dirty!”

“My dear, this is the Devil’s Casino. When you’re here…” He swept around dramatically, facing the crowd. “Nothing’s considered too low!” He faced Valentina, his face suddenly going dark. “Now get back to work.”

Getting the message, Valerie reluctantly turned back to the bar, walking back over to Holly and Cabell. Holly put a hand on her shoulder, murmuring something to her. Cabell continued to watch Dice as he led the boys over to the craps tables. He’s planning something.

 

…

 

Nearly an hour passed. Monsters all over the casino had started to gather around the craps tables, murmuring. That was because the two brothers, Cuphead and Mugman, had started up a winning streak. Cabell couldn’t believe it. These two young boys had luck something awful. People were murmuring in amazement, and a few skeletons repeatedly checked if they were cheating, but they could not find anything that proved they were.

Even a few of the casino staff had joined around. Cabell saw a few of King Dice’s lackeys, Mangosteen, Mr. Wheezy and Pirouetta, gathered around, watching closely. Even Connie O’ Clock had taken a break from their magic shows and come over to watch. Hearing a hiss, Cabell noticed Scarlet Serpentine slither over.

“Thossssse boysss have sssskill…what kind of parent letssss their child practicssss casssino gamessss?” she murmured. Cabell didn’t dare to reply to the naga.

King Dice was watching the entire thing, a huge smirk on his face. It was clear he knew something more about these boys than he was letting on.

“Hot dawg! These fellas can’t lose!” he laughed as Cuphead won another roll. Mugman was watching his brother, looking more impressed than frightened at this point. This was so unnatural. Children running up a winning streak at a casino? Cabell couldn’t help but feel something terrible was yet to come.

A sudden loud rumble snapped everyone’s attention over to the doorway to Hell. The lock on the door had begun to shake, and tremors ran through the floor. Some of the players looked to each other with looks of confusion on their faces which quickly turned to fear as they realized what was coming. The lights dimmed, and the great door opened slightly. With it, flames rushed through the crack, and people had to duck to avoid being burnt.

The sparks rushed around the room, and a deep, booming laugh echoed around the casino. Smoke began to flow through the now wide-open door, and a monstrous, shadowy figure took shape in the doorframe. It was huge – slightly bigger than the tall door itself. It crouched down, squeezing through the doorframe, and when the smoke cleared, there stood the Devil himself.

No one dared to move. No one dared to speak, or even breathe. The stony, yet amused glare of the Devil swept across his casino. Cabell could barely even flinch as Lucifer looked at him for half a second, he was so frozen. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Devil broke the silence.

“Well now, let’s not look so somber! This is a casino! We’re here to have fun, after all,” he boomed. The monsters all looked at each other, not wanting to be the first one to move.

The whole time, Cuphead and Mugman were staring up at the creature about six times their height. Awe and fear showed on their face, fear more prominent on Mugman’s face. They stepped back as the Hellish beast lumbered forward, sparks flying from his mouth.

Huffing, Lucifer looked over the tables, eyeing the cup brothers, and Cabell thought he saw an impressed look sweep over his face. However, it disappeared as quickly as it came on, so he could have imagined it.

“Nice run, boys,” he suddenly grinned. He picked up one of the small dice with two massive claws, rolling them in his hand. “But how about we raise the stakes?”

Uneasy murmurs spread throughout the crowd. Holly turned to Cabell, opening her mouth to speak, but the Devil continued, “Win one more roll, and all the loot in my casino is yours! But if you lose…I’ll have your souls. Deal?”

There was more than one shocked gasp from the crowd. In all his years, Cabell never would have thought the Devil would stoop so low as to make a dirty bet with children…But then again, he was the Devil. A sudden shout of “Good gosh, Cuphead, no!” attracted his attention, and he looked up to see that…no…

Cuphead had thrown the dice. Mugman stood beside him, his brow creased in fear. Time seemed to slow down as the crowd watched the dice roll, spinning over the table. Finally, with a clack, the dice came to a stop.

“SNAKE EYES!” the Devil thundered. He stepped forward, crushing the table under a massive foot. “You lose!”

Frozen in fear, Cuphead and Mugman stared up as he loomed over them. “Now, about those souls…” he continued with a wicked sneer.

Just about everyone in the room, not just Cuphead and Mugman, were terrified. Barely any one of them had ever seen the owner himself, and his presence alone was terrifying. The fact that he was about to take the souls of two children made it worse.

Dropping to their knees, the silence was broken by the brother’s pleads. Cabell could barely look as they begged for their lives, the torment of fear in his chest felt like it would burst out of him at any moment. Even though the children had acted so incredibly stupid, he never would have wished their souls to be taken to Hell, let alone watch it happen.

“T-There must be a-another w-way to repay you…!” Mugman squeaked.

“Y-Yes, p-please mister!” Cuphead added, trembling.

The Devil just seemed amused by all this, while King Dice looked on. The two shared a knowing glance, and grins spread across their faces. The Devil looked back at the boys.

“Hmm…perhaps there is,” he snickered. He snapped his fingers, and Dice walked to his side, pulling out a parchment from his coat and handing it to him. Lucifer grabbed it and pulled it open, turning it around to face the children.

“This here is a list of my runaway debtors,” he explained. “Quite a few of people have thought they could cheat their way out of a deal, eh?”

The list was, indeed, surprisingly long. Staring at it, it looked like Cuphead and Mugman couldn’t believe that many people would deal with the Devil. They seemed to forget what they had just done.

Lucifer rolled his eyes at their surprised faces. “Collect their souls for me, and I might just pardon you two mugs.” He spat the last word, and advanced towards them ominously. Looking shocked at what they needed to do, the boys backed away quickly.

“Why so shocked, lads? You should be happy you have a way out of this!” King Dice exclaimed. The Devil shot him a withering glance, not wanting to be interrupted, but Dice didn’t notice.

Now backed against the door of the casino, Cuphead and Mugman looked up at the Devil in terror as he glared at them one last time.

“NOW GET GOING!” he roared, as they turned tail and bolted out the door. “You have until midnight tomorrow to collect every one of those soul contracts…or I’ll be the one collecting yours!” With that, the boys were gone from sight.

Taking a deep breath, the Devil turned back to face the flabbergasted crowd. “Let this be a reminder to you of what will happen if you ever lose a deal with me,” he growled low. “Deal wisely – Who do you want to have your soul? God…or me?” With a final snarl, the lights in the casino went dim again, and they suddenly turned off completely, submerging everyone in darkness, and prompting a few shrieks. Luckily, they turned back on in a few seconds, and when they did…The Devil was gone.

Cabell suddenly remembered what breathing was. He took a few choking gasps, and slumped against the counter of the bar. Beside him, Holly and Valentina were still frozen, staring at where the Devil had disappeared. The crowd of casino goers were mostly silent, but slowly and uneasily went back to their tables shakily.

King Dice seemed to be the only one unfazed. He turned to one of his lackeys, Mr. Wheezy, and Cabell heard him comment, “Those boys really have their straws in a knot. I wonder what the ol’ dealer himself will have to say about that?”

Cabell didn’t know what he meant by ‘old dealer’, but he couldn’t care at this point. He practically jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder, but relaxed when he saw it was just Holly.

“Those…poor children,” she murmured, still in a shocked daze. “And…those poor residents…! Either those boys will have their souls taken, or the residents will!”

“All b-because of a stupid deal…” Cabell shook his head, feeling sick to his stomach. In the span of one hour, things had gone so horribly wrong.

The chiming of a clock got his attention, and he remembered that his shift was over. He almost grinned widely in utter relief, but was still too shaken to. “I – I need to go n-now, Holly. S-See you tomorrow?”

Holly nodded slowly. “See you tomorrow.”

Cabell grabbed his belongings, and quickly walked through the casino, the irrational part of his mind telling him the Devil would reappear any instant. However, he reached the doors safely, and pushed them open, eager to get out of the large cavern that held the casino.

As he walked out of the cave, relieved to see the starry night sky again, he made a promise to himself. He had just witness something he never wanted to see again or be a part of.

No matter what happened, he would never, ever make a deal with the Devil.


End file.
